Attachable rack for safety razor cases and the like



July 2, 1957 R. L. SINCLAIR ATTACHABLE RACK FOR SAFETY RAZOR CASES AND THE LIKE Filed 001.. 29, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ROBERT L. SINCLAIR ATTORNEY July 2, 1957 L. SINCLAIR ATTACHABLE RACK FOR SAFETY RAZOR CASES AND THE LIKE.

Filed Oct. 29; 1954 ill 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

.ROBERT L. SINCLAIR "I BY ATTORNEY July 2, 1957 R. L. SINCLAIR 2,797,814

ATTACHABLE RACK FOR SAFETY RAZOR CASES AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 29, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. ROBERT L. SINCLAIR ATTORNEY United States Patent ATTACHABLE RACK FOR SAFETY RAZOR CASES AND THE. LIKE Robert L. Sinclair, Dedham, Mass, assignor to The Gillette Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Delaware Application October 29, 1954, Serial No. 465,567

2 Claims. (Cl. 211-49) This invention comprises a new and improved rack for displaying such articles as a safety razor case or cases with the maximum of sales appeal to possible customers in the most advantageous :and persuasive location, for example, in super-markets in a place where the customer must pass on his way to the exit.

An object of the invention is to provide a rack for such purpose that is portable and may be carried conveniently from place to place, that is adapted to be readily and securely attached wherever desired, which will display its goods conspicuously, and from which the goods may be conveniently removed as purchased. Important characteristics of the rack are that it should be capable of manufacture at low cost and that it should have provision for secure attachment when once put in place so that it cannot be carelessly or surreptitiously displaced.

The rack of the present invention in its preferred embodiment comprises a stationary frame and a movable clamping member mounted therein. The frame includes fixed upright posts providing vertical guideways at each end of the frame and a fixed clamping arm extending rearwardly from two of the posts. The movable clamping member has a top section merging into downwardly extending loops that are movable without twisting in said guideways, carry rearwardly extending clamping arms, and are biased at all times by spring means toward clamping position.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of the rack in front elevation with some of the safety razor cases indicated in dot and dash lines.

Fig. 2 is a corresponding plan view.

Fig. 3 is a corresponding view in end elevation showing in section a portion of a shelf and,

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of one end of the rack.

As herein shown, both the stationary frame and the movable clamping member are fashioned from heavy stiff Wire, preferably about A3" in diameter, which is not readily bendable in hand operations. The stationary frame comprises a straight rear section bent into forwardly extending case-supporting loops 11 and 12 at its opposite ends. The loop 11, in turn, merges into an upright positioning post 13, and loop 12 merges into an upright positioning post 14 as best shown in Fig. 4. The posts 13 and 14 are referred to as positioning posts because they determine the position of the rack with respect to a counter or other supporting shelf as indicated in Fig. 3. An upright guide-post 15 is welded to the loop 11 and disposed in parallel relation to the positioning post 13, so that it forms therewith a vertical guideway. Correspondingly, an upright guide-post 17 is welded to the loop 12 in parallel relation to the positioning post 14. The guide-post 15 is extended rearwardly in a stationary clamping arm 16, and the guide-post 17 is extended rearwardly in a stationary clamping arm 18. Each of these "ice clamping arms is provided with a looped or offset portion to span the bead strip which is oftenfound along the outer edge of a shelf or counter, as suggested in Fig. 3.

The rack here illustrated has one important field of use in displaying safety razor cases 35 of the character disposed in the co-pending application of Shnitzler and Sinclair, Serial No. 217,946 filed March 28, 1951, now Patent No. 2,702,116 and for that purpose, two pairs of upright standards 19 and 21 are provided in parallel longitudinally aligned relation and spaced forwardly with respect to the guide-posts 15 and 17. The inner standards of each pair are welded at their bottoms to the rear section 10 of the frame, and the outer standards are welded at their bottoms to the loops 11 and 12 respectively. The upper ends of the standards 19 are connected by a rearwardly ofiset loop 20, and the upper ends of thestandards .21 are connected by a rearwardly offset loop 22. Each case 35 is provided in its rear wall with vertical oppositely open channels spaced to receive the upright standards so that the case may be readily put in place or removed by vertical movement. As herein shown each pair of standards contain a stack of three cases resting on the loop 11 or 12 and supported by their rear walls. The cases are thus conspicuously displayed by the rack.

The movable clamping member has a straight top section 23 merging at its right end into a down-turned loop 24 and at its left end into a down-turned loop 25. The lower branch of each of these loops is disposed parallel to and directly beneath the section 23, thus providing an upper structure that is free to move up and down without twisting in the guideways formed at one end of the rack by the posts 13 and 15 and at the other end of the rack by the posts 14 and 17. This relationship is clearly shown in Fig. 3.

The loop 24 has a rearwardly extending arm 26 merging into an upwardly extending arm 28 which, in turn, merges into a rearwardly extending clamping arm 30. Similarly, the loop 25 has a rearwardly extending arm 27 merging into an upwardly extending arm 29 which, in turn, merges into a rearwardly extending clamping arm 31. The moveable clamping arms 30 and 31 are ofiset slightly within the fixed clamping arms 16 and 18 as best shown in Fig. 2.

The positioning posts 13 and 14 are welded to and extend slightly above stationary clamping arms 16 and 18 and thus provide studs over which are looped the upper ends of springs 32, 32. At their lower ends these springs are looped about the arms 26 or 27, and these springs act in unison to bias the movable clamping arms 30 and 31 always upwardly into clamping relation with the fixed clamping arm 16 and 18.

In Fig. 3 is shown an edge portion of a shelf 33 having a marginal price bead strip 34. The rack herein described may be attached to such a shelf by pressing downwardly upon the ends of section 23 or the loops 24 and 25, thus separating the movable clamping jaws 30 and 31 from the fixed clamping jaws 16 and 18 sufliciently to admit the bead strip 34 between them. Then by releasing pressure on the section 23 ends or loops 24 and 25, the springs 32 will immediately elevate the movable clamping arms 30 and 31 into yielding engagement with the lower face of the shelf 33. In this clamped position the upwardly offset portions of the stationary clamping arms 16 and 18 accommodate the projection caused by the bead strip 34, and tend to prevent forward displacement of the rack as a whole. Similarly, the upper ends of the upright arms 28, 29 which would abut the downwardly-projecting lower margin of the price bead strip 34 if moved forwardly provide a positive obstruction to any appreciable forward displacement of the rack as a whole. Further, the springs 32 operate continuously and with very substantial force to prevent angular displacement or rocking of the rack,

and thus maintain the standards 19 and 21 always in a predetermined upright position displaying and presenting the stacked cases 35 in conspicuous relation to the customer.

Hzifingfthhs'di'slos'ed'my invention and described in detailszanillustrative embodiment thereof, I claim as new andd'e'sire to secure by LettersPatent:

1. An attachable rack for safety'razo-r cases comprising'astationary frame and a movable clamping member, the stationary frame having a wire base portion of a single length of heavy wirewith a straight rear section bent into" a fo'rw'ardly extending 'loop'at each end that merges into an'uprightJpositio'ning post, a stationary guide post parallel toeach'positio'nin'g.post'and merging'into a rearwa'r'dly'extending 'fixed clamp arm, and upright caseretaining standards risingfrom'the'rear section of the base; the movable clamping member including a straight topsection merging at'each end into a down-turned loop having aninwardly extending arm that, with the top section,"is'guided for vertical movement between the positioning" posts and guide posts, said down-turned loops being extended rearwardly into movable clamping arms, and springs tending'zat all times to elevate the movable clamping member.

2. An attachable rack for safety razor cases comprising a stationary frame and a movable clamping member, the stationary frame having a wire base portion of a single length of heavy Wire with a straight rear section bent into a forwardly extending loop at each end and having an upright positioning post, a stationary guide post parallel to each positioning post and merging into a rearwardly extending fixed clamp arm, and upright case-retaining standards rising from the rear section of the base; the movable clamping member including a straight top section merging at each end into a down-turned loop that, with the top section, is guided for vertical movement between the positioning posts and guide posts, said downturned loops being extended rearwardly into movable clamping arms, and springs tending at all times to elevate the movable clamping member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,072,248 McNaughton Sept.'2, 1913 1,741,136 Naylor Dec. 24, 1929 1,967,898 Nilson July 24, 1934 2,539,335 Smith Jan. 23, 1951 2,620,082 Harmon Dec. 2, 1952 

